Friday, July 15, 2016

Mangaldan Mayor hits Dads for ducking drug test

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

MANGALDAN – Two lawmakers here have been scored by the lady
mayor for refusing to submit themselves to a drug test.

DUCKING DADS.
Members of the Sangguniang Bayan of Mangaldan, Pangasinan like Councilors
Joseph Emmanuel Cera and Joselito Quinto (second and third from left) during
their inauguration as elective officials at the plaza of the burgeoning town.

Mayor Bona Fe D. Parayno assailed last Monday Sangguniang
Bayan (Council) members Joseph Emmanuel Cera and Jojo Quinto for turning down
to give their urine in a surprised drug test initiated by the mayor while the
Council was in session.

“So kayo na ang lang
po sa media kayo na ang bahala diyan, okay? Kasi sa akin ay I submitted myself
at kung ano ang mga questions sa mga iyan,” she referred to Cera and Quinto in a press conference she called at
her office before the start of the drug test among the workers of the local
government unit (LGU) here.

The mayor, in cooperation with the crime laboratory of the police
provincial office based in Lingayen town, subjected all employees of the LGU
and the members of the Council where the vice mayor, lawyer Pedro Surdilla, is
the mayor’s tandem in the May 9 election
and her present political ally now.

Earlier, the mayor hit her critics who accused her as drug
lord.

“I’ll
first submit myself for a drug test to get rid on those baseless speculations
that I am into drugs,” declared
by this Central Pangasinan town mayor after her opponents in social and local
media accused her to be a drug lord.

Cera, a lawyer, said he manifested his refusal to personnel
of the crime laboratory that he would not be subjecting himself for the test because
it was a violation of his right to privacy.

When asked that he and Quinto’s refusal would be
misconstrued by the public that they have been taking drugs, Cera says:

“That’s a possibility
the apprehension they might misconstrue that I’m taking drugs, but I’m not. I’m
taking a stance against these people who would just subject for any form of
drug testing”.

He showed Northern Watch a document that he had been in good
health and found negative of the residue of illegal drugs in his system.

He said his executive check-up was done at the Specialist
Group Hospital & Trauma Center in Dagupan City.

“I don’t trust the police officer,” in reference to
Superintendent Jackie Candelario who brought the drug testers from the
provincial police office.

Candelario and Cera
had an altercation in December 3, 2014 when the former was the chief of police
here when he ordered his men to forcibly dragged Quinto, then a village chief
of Barangay Poblacion here, from his office and detained him at the police jail here.

Cera was Quinto’s lawyer on the cases of usurpation of
authority or official functions, assault against persons in authority, and
resistance and disobedience to a person in authority filed by Mayor Parayno and
the police against Quinto and Village Councilwoman Melinda Morillo.

The lawyer also cited a Supreme Court decision that drug
testing arbitrarily subjected by the Commission on Election to elective officials
who filled their certificate of candidacy (COC) during the 2010 election was
unconstitutional.